A MERSEYSIDE nurse was suspended for putting her husband on Liverpool Women's hospital training course even though he did not work there.

Julie Spencer, who was working for Liverpool Women’s Hospital as a NVQ co-ordinator, registered her husband Stephen Spencer as a candidate for the course even though he was not employed by the trust and she did not have permission to do so.

Nurse Spencer was not present at the Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing but did admit to registering her husband.

The charges against her related to her conduct at the hospital on or around April 2010. Considering her case, the health watchdog panel said her conduct was “dishonest” and her fitness to practice was “impaired” because of her misconduct.

They handed her a suspension order which will remain on her record for 12 months.

The panel said the decision: “reflects the serious view that the panel took of Mrs Spencer’s misconduct and it will enable her to reflect on the panel’s finding of dishonesty.

"The panel considered that such an order will maintain confidence in the profession and is proportionate in the circumstances.”

Back in April 2010 nurse Spencer was employed as a NVQ co-ordinator within the trust and registered her husband at the trust’s expense. It cost £78.80.

Nurse Spencer admitted that she had registered her husband for an NVQ but said at “no time was it done as a dishonest act”. She said she fully intended to pay for the registration but “genuinely forgot” because she had a lot of stress at the time.

She added her actions were “stupid but not dishonest or fraudulent”.

Nurse Spencer in written submissions had said that the registration of her husband was “instinctive and ill-thought out”.

But the panel said that in registering her husband nurse Spencer had acted dishonestly and said she must have known about the trust’s NVQ policy because she was its author. It decided to suspend the nurse rather than remove her from the register permanently, taking into consideration a number of factors including that she has been a nurse for 24 years and had been with the trust for 22 years without any previous history of dishonest behaviour.

Michelle Turner, director of human resources and organisational development at Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This employee left the employment of the Trust in December 2010 following an investigation in accordance with Trust policy.